AN: What started as a casual role play about a bounty hunter and a force sensitive dancer has become almost a book that a friend and I decided to write out after several of our RP'd scenes ended up being seen over a year later in some of the SWTOR expansions. For the fun of it, I'll be posting our chapters here as we finish writing them out. This starts after all 8 main storylines have ended, and you will be eventually seeing all 8 coming into play with Cipher 9 having the fewest chapters, which should be expected from someone who specializes in never being seen. Each chapter will be from the general POV of a single character, yes I shamelessly stole that idea from the Game of Thrones books. Most chapters starting out will loosely follow the game, though the majority of the RP and so the fic will go its own direction. Please R&R and tell us what you think, but all haters will be sent to Oricon.
Kerrithi
A single black claw traced an orange stripe in the fur of her mate's chest. Jorgan purred softly in his sleep as a response to her touch but otherwise made not a sound, the silence loud in her ears after the passion. It had been a long time since Kerrithi had lain with her mate and she was grateful he respected her need for distance. Grateful he loved her enough. Grateful he didn't leave her when the loss had been her fault.
Officially the accident had been blamed on the faulty Intel, but the black furred Cathar knew better. She'd taken M1-4X, the squad's tripod war droid, inside the building; it was supposed to be a quick clean house mission before they left the planet. But an EMP pulse shorted out the loyal war droid and a Sith inquisitor, a mere apprentice, took her by surprise. Kerrithi had killed Sith before, this one far from being the strongest foe she'd faced. But she'd let her guard down, and that was all the Sith needed to ram an electrostaff into her belly. Kerrithi survived the attack, but her litter did not. She'd only known for a few weeks and the pregnancy hadn't yet become a hindrance to her mobility, but Jorgan had insisted she stay home and she ignored him. Even pulled rank and commanded him to stand down, only for him to have been right in the end. The death of her litter was a heavy price for arrogance, one Kerrithi longed to never have paid.
When she woke in a med bay and was told the fate of her young, she'd cried for the first time in years. She could smell the anger on her mate as he held her, but he uttered not a word. Stood by her as the weeks turned to months and Kerrithi slowly recovered from the ordeal. Physically she was sound in days, but her mind and spirit took longer to heal. Now resting in the arms of her sleeping and satisfied mate, Kerrithi felt something she hadn't felt since she woke up in that med bay; contentment. There was nothing stopping her from conceiving again, but Jorgan agreed it was best to let it happen, rather than trying. The creation of their litter should be an act of love, not one of stress and well planned timing.
Kerrithi retracted her claw and softly licked her mate's neck, a primal kiss, before slipping from his arms. Wrapping a soft robe about her to hide her private fur, Kerrithi closed the door on her mate's sleep purring and roamed the ship with silent, bare feet. Elara Dorne, the squad's medic and sole human, was the only one still on board. Everyone else was planet side enjoying the shore leave while it lasted. Tanno Vik, the demolition's expert, was likely in a cantina somewhere drunk or picking fights in an alley, Yuun in a shop collecting new supplies to tinker with, and Four-X had proudly announced the night before that he'd discovered a new target to capture or kill to increase republic morale. With only her sleeping mate and the soft rummaging sounds of Elara's obsessive need for organization in her area, the ship was blissfully quiet. "Greetings, master! How may I assist you?"
Kerrithi winced at the loud voice of the ship's protocol droid. Blast… she'd forgotten he was here too. "Go rummaging through Vik's area, I think I smelled something dead."
"With pleasure! I will see to it immediately, master!" The droid gleefully responded, making his way to where Vik had taken up residence. The hot tempered Weequay kept threatening to throw the droid out an air lock, Kerrithi was honestly surprised he hadn't yet. Jorgan, herself, and Kira, the former padawan to her Jedi commander, had made bets on when he'd actually go through with those threats. Jorgan already lost, and she was nearly out of time. It was looking like a street smart Jedi knight was going to take the fistful of credits on this one.
"Major. You are awake." Elara's thickly imperial accented voice broke through the quiet as she emerged from the med bay of the ship, her back more ridged than a meter stick on Hoth. As always she was dressed sharply even in the late hour, her armor recently repainted to erase the damage received on their last mission and not a single strand of her blonde hair tied into a painfully tight bun was out of place. She was a sharp contrast to her commander, who was naked except for the simple robe around her mussed fur. "Commander Fallen tried to contact you but I… thought it best not to interrupt."
Kerrithi chuckled. "That's appreciated. I'll try and call her back on the holo." Elara saluted stiffly and marched back to her med bay. Despite her stiff regulation obsessions, Dorne was a fine soldier and had a good heart. No one on Havoc saw her as the ex-imperial she was, to them she was simply the medic on Havoc squad who could shoot better than most soldiers in the Republic and had a rarely heard off key singing voice.
Approaching the holo terminal and keying in the code to reach the Jedi master, Kerrithi realized belatedly that the commanding officer of the best Special Forces squad in the Republic likely shouldn't be making important holo calls in such casual attire, but was spared the embarrassment by an unanswered call. Too tired to be productive, but too awake to sleep, the Cathar settled into one of the chairs in the cockpit and gazed at the stars over Alderaan. She'd lost count now how many of those stars she'd traveled to, or rather to the planets that orbited them. Lost count how many worlds she'd seen liberated from the control of the Empire, how many lives lost in the worlds she'd failed to free from its iron grip.
She smelled the familiar and comforting scent of her mate before he entered the room and settled in the chair next to her. Kerrithi reached out and took Jorgan's hand in hers and received a soft squeeze from his strong paw in return. It was another assurance that all was well. A soft beep announced the arrival of a transmission and she grabbed the datapad someone left on a seat nearby with her free hand. The message was short and offered little, but the instructions were clear. With a sigh, Kerrithi pulled out her personal com and started contacting her missing companions, recalling them back to the ship. Shore leave was over.
"Clearance codes accepted. You may proceed." Said a voice over the com with a crackle, a response to their request to land within the Republic fleet. Jorgan guided their starship into the docking bay as Kerrithi retreated back to the common area.
"We are here." She announced, though they probably knew that from the feeling of the ship's descent and landing. "Jorgan will be with me. Yuun, Vik, you are on resupply duty this time. Four-X and Dorne will guard the ship."
"Yes sir." Elara said with a sharp salute.
"Yes sir! For the Republic!" The war droid yelled with enthusiasm.
Vik rolled his eyes at the two. "Be quick about the meet. Been too long since I blew somethin' up." He said gruffly to his commanding officer, then motioned for the Gand to follow him down the ramp. Yuun did so, after a respectful bow to his commanding officer.
Kerrithi shook her head at Vik's lack of a respectful attitude, but didn't press the issue. She trusted him to do his job and do it well, and that was all she required. So what if he tended to skim credits, it was no worse than the Republic hiring smugglers and giving them free reign to do the same. At least with Vik she knew his greed wasn't bigger than his sense of self preservation, he wouldn't skimp out on guns or armor for himself or the rest of the squad. As she made her way down the ramp of the Thunderclap, Jorgan fell into step beside her, slinging his blaster rifle onto his back. Like everyone else in Havoc squad, he sported standard regulation armor painted in the gold and white colors trademark to Havoc. "You haven't given us any mission details."
"Because I don't know much." Kerrithi replied, nodding to the guards of the hanger bay as she passed. "It's a highly dangerous rescue mission, but I don't know the who or where. Commander Fallen requested us as backup, she'll brief us." Jorgan grunted. Previously he held a distrust over all force users, Jedi or Sith. But after the incident with the Deadeyes and how the Republic covered it up, he realized that the bureaucrats saw troopers as nothing but numbers to throw at the Empire, that even Havoc squad was expendable. The Jedi didn't see it that way; every life was precious. Slowly, he'd warmed to them, especially Mritha, and like Kerrithi began to prefer taking orders from her rather than Garza. If things went south, the Jedi were the first to mount a rescue mission even under orders not to and almost always led the mission on the ground personally whereas the Republic itself had been known to abandon their troopers to their fate even after the promise of extraction, a realization that still left a sour taste in their mouths.
The fleet was busy, as always, with all kinds of characters and species. The hum of many conversations and dialects as well as vendors calling out their wares made idle chatter difficult and the press of bodies made going slow, but eventually Kerrithi stepped into an elevator with Jorgan a step behind her and as the door closed, sounds greatly diminished. The black Cathar reached back and touched her blaster rifle, her gloved fingers assured she was still armed. Barely a minute passed before the door swished open, revealing a hallway mostly lit with monitors and displays, as were all the rooms branching off from it. The activity and noise was drastically diminished in the mission departures section of the fleet compared to the levels above, a welcome change. "Droid still on your ship or floating aimlessly through space?" A female voice questioned.
"Still on the ship." Kerrithi reluctantly informed.
Kira grinned, her green eyes twinkling as she approached the two troopers, her long saber-staff hilt thumping against her leg. "Looks like I'm gonna be 30 credits richer."
"I've still got four days, you haven't won yet." Kerrithi said, her eyes narrowing.
Kira laughed, clearly not concerned in the slightest. "It's good to see you two again. Come on, everyone's waiting."
The two troopers followed the Jedi knight, the sound of their heavily armored feet a contrast to the silent Jedi in her robes. While Kerrithi respected the easier ability for stealth, she wanted more than a few layers of cloth and a glow stick to stand between her and blaster fire. When she finally entered the room where they were to be debriefed. Kerrithi snapped a sharp salute to the Jedi examining a holo projection. "Commander Fallen, reporting as ordered." Beside her, Jorgan silently did the same.
Mritha turned from the display, her scarred face making her smile seem more like a grimace. Kerrithi never asked how she received the long scar that reached from her lower forehead and between her eyes, crossing to the left side of her face and marring one cheek. But the burns of a lightsaber were unquestionable. "Kerrithi, Jorgan, I appreciate you coming so quickly." She began. Despite the piercing yellow eyes, marred face, and unusual tendency to wear black, the Jedi's voice was gentle. "This is Theonoe, the Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, and her padawan, Naudia." Mritha motioned to the second Jedi in the room, standing on the opposite side of the holo console.
"Sir. It's an honor." And Kerrithi meant it. She'd never met the Barsen'thor, but everyone heard of the tales. The light green skinned Twi'lek was shorter than expected, and simply dressed in brown and green robes, but that explained the sense of calm that filled the room. The trooper didn't need to be force sensitive to know it was Theonoe emanating it.
"For me as well. Mritha has told me much and more of Havoc, I'm glad to have you watching our backs on this mission." Her voice was smooth and soft, though it carried surprisingly well and was easily heard.
"Now that everyone knows everyone else, let's get started!" Kira said, breaking in.
"Patience." Mritha said though there wasn't much force behind it, as if she knew the cautionary advice wouldn't be heeded. Kira scowled and leaned back against the wall, taking a relaxed stand beside Naudia. The Sarkhai girl stood calmly with her hands folded neatly in front of her, though her eyes were bright with what Kerrithi recognized as both excitement and nervousness. Kerrithi wondered how long this girl had been training as a Jedi to still show the signs of nerves, but now was not the time to ask. "Jedi Master Oteg has entrusted us with the task of rescuing Revan, a powerful Jedi imprisoned by the Sith Empire roughly three hundred years ago. Until recently he was believed dead, which is why an extraction mission has never been planned until now." Kerrithi studied the holo display critically as the Jedi spoke. This didn't look like a place where a Jedi could be held prisoner for so long unnoticed. As if expecting the question on the trooper's mind, Mritha continued. "This is Taral V, where the key to the Maelstrom prison is kept. Our mission is to first infiltrate Taral V and recover a Gree computer which will allow us to navigate through the constantly changing Maelstrom Nebula. Master Oteg is providing us with a captured Imperial shuttle which will allow us to sneak inside past the blockade of enemy ships."
"Maelstrom… I've never heard of a prison in that area before. How did the Republic find out about it?" Jorgan questioned, rubbing the fur on his chin.
Mritha shifted and frowned, as if not sure how to explain. She glanced at Theonoe, who took the lead. "The Force ghost of a Jedi called to Master Oteg. She explained how to find Revan, and that he was indeed alive after all this time despite being human."
"So we are going about this on the word of a dead Jedi, speaking from beyond the grave?" Kerrithi asked skeptically. Her mind was far more open to the ways of the Jedi now than it was before, but even this was pushing the limits.
"That's one way to put it, yes." Mritha answered. "I know this is hard to believe… but it isn't an isolated incident. My own master has appeared to me before. I may not have escaped the Emperor's control if not for him."
Kerrithi frowned, but didn't press. Most everyone in the galaxy saw her master executed by a Sith years ago as it had been broadcasted all over the holonet, and Havoc squad was one of the few who knew the rumors of the Hero of Tython joining the Empire for several months was true and that she'd been controlled by the Sith Emperor himself who thankfully, was now dead. By the very lightsaber he once commanded against her will, ironically. There was still significant Intel about those incidents missing, but even gruff and sometimes nosey Vik Tanno hadn't pressed, out of respect for the mental wounds the Jedi may still carry. Soldiers were no strangers to that. "Then why the long wait? Why is she just now coming to us about this?"
Theonoe answered her. "She did not say why she waited so long, but claimed that a great darkness is coming, that Revan held the darkness at bay all this time but has now lost control of it. Even I do not fully understand the meaning behind that, but Lord Scourge claims it involves the Sith Emperor."
"The Emperor is dead. You killed him yourself." Jorgan commented, looking pointedly at Mritha.
"I did, and I felt his death in the Force. But Scourge never truly believed he was gone, despite evidence to the contrary. For a Sith to remain close to the Jedi he despises so much is significant, and he swore he would never leave me until he was certain beyond a doubt that the Emperor was eliminated."
"There is a possibility this will amount to nothing, concerning the Sith Emperor." Theonoe began. "But there is enough here for me to believe we would make a fatal mistake in not seeking out Revan and attempting to free him. He may be able to turn the tide of the war in favor of the Republic. Can we count on you to help us?"
Kerrithi was still getting used to being asked, rather than commanded by her superiors. It was a pleasant change, and made the strange magical ways of the Jedi worth bearing even in the worst of times. "Havoc squad has your back. Just tell us where to shoot and we'll take care of the rest." Jorgan purred in approval beside her.
"Thank you." Mritha said, encouraged by their support. "We will keep our presence hidden for as long as possible, but stealth will only get us so far. When it fails, we need Vik to have a distraction ready to draw the bulk of the forces away from our main team."
"He will be all too happy to comply." Kerrithi commented.
Kira chuckled to herself from her place against the wall, earning a confused look from Naudia. The padawan obviously hadn't heard of Vik's explosive enthusiasm. Mritha continued as if she hadn't heard. "We will need Yuun to hack into the security systems and turn them against the Empire, or failing that, shut them down. The rest of your team I will trust your judgment in where you need them to be."
"I'll have Four-X guard Vik, they will likely draw a lot of heat. Dorne can go with Yuun, she remembers a lot of Imperial regulations and habits and may be useful to him for more than just an extra blaster. Jorgan and I can back you up."
"Cover fire is always appreciated." Mritha said with a grateful smile. She hadn't forgotten the lucky pass a Sith took at her the first time she and Havoc worked together, months ago. Had Kerrithi not shot him down, the Jedi would be short a head. That would have been a pathetic way to die… the Jedi who assassinated the Sith Emperor struck down by a one armed and over eager Sith Lord. "Naudia will go with Yuun and Dorne, Kira can provide support to Vik and Four-X."
"You said your Sith friend would accompany us, why isn't he here now?" Jorgan questioned.
"He thought it wise to avoid the Republic fleet. It wouldn't go over well for him to kill members of the Republic, even if they did shoot first." Mritha explained. Jorgan nodded, he considered it a wise decision. "Unless you have any questions, we are done here. I'll send you coordinates of where Master Oteg has our Imperial shuttle hidden and blueprints of Taral V."
"None, and thank you. Fly safe, we'll see you again shortly." Kerrithi said with a crisp salute. Once Yuun and Vik got back from scavenging the fleet for supplies, they'd be on their way. She could debrief them while en route to the ship.
"May the Force be with you." Theonoe said with a respectful incline of her head.
"This place is a lot like Drummond Kass." Mritha commented days later as their stolen Imperial shuttle navigated through the enemy fleet over Taral V.
Kerrithi glanced over at the Jedi, wondering how she could compare the planets when they hadn't even landed yet. But not wanting a long 'mysterious ways of the Force' speech, which was the likely answer, she kept silent. Instead, she resisted the urge to check her gear for the dozenth time. Once she got on the planet she knew she'd be fine, but the trooper wasn't built for sneaking around wearing Imperial colors on her shoulder. It was too much like what the SIS did, and Kerrithi despised them after what they did to the Deadeyes, a squad of good Republic soldiers led to the slaughter like nerfs. She was aware of Lord Scourge threatening someone over the com as a response to a hail, but was only partly aware of what was being said. When he sat back in his seat and the ship turned, heading towards the planet and making its decent, she knew they were good to go. "Everyone ready?"
"For the Republic!" Four-X shouted with enough passion to make the average person question if droids really couldn't feel emotion.
"Then let's hit them where it hurts." Kerrithi said, heading back to the common area. Kira and Naudia were already there when she arrived. When the young knight spotted them, she gave Kerrithi a questioning glance. With a scowl, the Cathar shook her head. Kira's face turned smug, and Naudia glanced back and forth between them, not understanding the silent conversation that passed between her friend and the trooper. But before she could question it, Mritha exited the cockpit and joined them. "We've successfully infiltrated Taral V, the Imperials think we're just another shuttle bringing supplies. The longer they think that, the better." She pulled out a small datapad from her pocket and typed something in as she continued. "I'm transmitting coordinates to a security outpost nearby, Sergeants Yuun and Dorne will head there first with Naudia providing support. Vik, have you chosen where you will set up the distraction?"
"That I have, Miss Jedi." He said, a wicked gleam in his eye that only appeared when he knew he was about to go wild with explosives. He stepped forward and pointed to a place on the slowly rotating holo map of the outpost. "Right there. Take out their shuttles and a few walkers, that outta send em' running! Make it easier to blaze outta here too."
"Make sure your team is clear on the fall back plan, for when things get too hot." Kerrithi cautioned.
"This ain't my first rancor ride." Vik said, mildly insulted. "Already got the droid and the dress up to speed."
"It's a robe!" Kira snapped, her fingers brushing her lightsaber.
"Kira." Mritha said in a warning tone.
"He started it." The young Jedi grumbled. At Kerrithi's reprimanding glare, Vik scowled.
As the ship came to rest on the planet and Scourge thumped in with his heavy boots, Mritha continued. "The rest of us will continue towards the outpost and remain unseen for as long as possible, hopefully at least until Yuun has a chance to transmit the location of the computer."
"This one will do his best." Yuun said in his native tongue with a bow.
"That's all we ask of you." Theonoe said gently. Kerrithi suppressed a surprised jolt. She hadn't even seen the Jedi meditating quietly in the corner, and the trooper had scanned the room out of habit, taking in the locations of everyone and everything in it at a well-trained glance but still somehow missed the Twi'lek. "May the Force be with us all." And with that, the hatch lowered and the group descended, troopers first, with their rifles and blasters scanning the vegetation critically. As the groups split up towards their respective objectives, lightning crashed overhead. Havoc's commanding officer had to agree with Mritha, this planet was very similar to the holo recordings she'd seen of the Imperial capital.
The going was slow in order to maintain stealth. Occasionally Kerrithi would hear one of the other two groups announce a kill or to report progress, but generally the radios were silent. She passed warily around a jungle cat, held in suspension by the Barsen'thor. It was quieter to put them into a confused daze, be it Imperials on patrol or the local wildlife, rather than kill them even though each of the troopers had suppressors fixed on their blasters. "Sergeant Dorne, reporting in. We have reached the security station with minimal resistance. Sergeant Yuun is already patching in to the network, you should receive a transmission of the exact location of the computer on your HUD shortly."
"Acknowledged. Good work." Kerrithi responded, then went silent once more. It was getting harder now to avoid Imperials, stealth wasn't going to last them much longer. Mritha held up a hand to signal a halt, then right before Kerrithi's eyes, vanished. The trooper knew some Jedi, and some Sith for that matter, could hold a Force induced stealth almost indefinitely but Mritha wasn't one of them. Still, it was useful for quick recon.
Not a minute passed before she reappeared again. "I can see the walls of the compound, security and probe droids are thick. We can punch through them, but we'd be noticed."
"Can we get any closer?" Jorgan asked quietly, keeping his voice low.
Mritha shook her head. "Not enough to matter. They cleared the brush away several meters from the wall, its wide open."
"Then we'll at least go around, get to an entrance. It will be more heavily guarded but we can get through faster, especially when Vik draws their attention." Kerrithi instructed, not aware she'd given orders to her superior. She knew how to draw up a good battle plan in the field and on the fly, it was far too easy to slip into the mindset and take over.
Unlike General Garza or anyone else she'd served under through her career as a Republic trooper, Mritha didn't seem to mind. "As you say. We are nearest to the East entrance, so we'll head there. We can camp until Vik is ready." And with that, they were once again on their way. At the East entrance, four turrets guarded the way into the base. Besides the turrets there were also two battle droids, a handful of troopers, and one bored looking Sith pacing restlessly.
As Kerrithi knelt on the ground, her com buzzed. "Yuun has managed to gain some control over the automated defenses." Dorne informed the team. "Anti-air support is now offline, ground defenses are under our control, but the droids would have to be overridden manually. We can't gain remote control of their systems."
"Hold until Vik's command, we'll hit them simultaneously." Kerrithi commanded.
"Yes sir."
"Give me two shakes, almost got it." The person in question chimed in. "Expect some fireworks on the north wall, but we're running in from the south entrance. Had a change of plans."
"Affirmative." Kerrithi said, then clicked off.
"How did he plant remote explosives on the wall if we can't get near without being seen?" Mritha wondered quietly.
Jorgan answered her. "It's Vik. When it comes to explosives, he can pull of the impossible. Just don't ask him to do anything else because he'll like screw it up."
Thunder rumbled as Kerrithi waited, her yellow eyes flicking over her team. Scourge had uttered not a word and the trooper still felt uncomfortable having a Sith so close. His deep red skin and sharp yellow eyes stood out against his all black armor. For a Sith, particularly of such former high rank, he was very simply dressed. The long black cape reaching from his shoulders to nearly brushing the ground was the only piece that had purely an aesthetic appeal. The darkness he commanded seemed to swallow him in the already dim lighting under the canopy of the trees, like he belonged here. He spared a glance in her direction and Kerrithi tensed, her finger caressing the trigger on her blaster, but the moment passed when he returned his gaze to the Sith still pacing below. Clearly, he didn't see the Republic trooper as a threat, for his stance remained lax, bored even. Pushing away the ever present unease of a Sith working with them, Kerrithi forced herself to look away. Theo's face betrayed nothing, her soft forest green eyes alight with that same feeling of calm keeping away the pre-fight jitters. Such a thing would be useful with rookies around, but with Havoc it wasn't needed. Mritha watched the Sith pace along with Scourge. She seemed troubled by something but Kerrithi knew not what. Perhaps the possibility, however remote, that the Sith Emperor was still alive. That was enough to trouble anyone, but for the person who watched him die even more so. A black gloved hand rubbed one of the lightsabers on her belt. Standing next to Scourge, Kerrithi noticed for the first time how similar the two dressed, even down to the black cape. The obvious exception was that Mritha's armor had clearly been designed and shaped for a female in mind and was trimmed in a deep shade of purple, rather than the jet black of her companion. Curious.
The ground rumbled as yellow flames and black smoke filled the sky, breaking her train of thought. The droids below turned and the Sith and Imperial troopers both took off towards the explosion; the Sith already had his red lightsaber ignited. "All right, Yuun, let us in." Kerrithi sent over the com.
The turrets turned and started firing on the two battle droids, distantly she could hear more blaster fire elsewhere. Lightsabers ignited beside her and two Jedi and one Sith burst from cover, the two troopers quickly following close behind. Within the compound was chaos, turrets everywhere were targeting droids and Imperials alike, the bodies of both already pilling high in the confusion. But it wouldn't last, Kerrithi knew. Once the shock wore off, it wouldn't take much for the Imperials to recover and dismantle their own traitorous defenses. A Sith jumped into their path, her blood red lightsaber arcing for its target. Scourge cut her down with a single swing, never breaking stride. For not the first time, Kerrithi was glad he was up front where she could keep an eye on him. She returned fire to an Imperial probe droid, her shots hitting their mark as twin purple sabers flew forward as if with a mind of their own, each cutting down an Imperial trooper before returning to Mritha's hands. Jorgan returned fire with an Imperial battledroid, drawing its attention away from his mate, before part of the wall from the building it stood next to collapsed without warning, the heavy materials crushing even the heavily armored shell of the large droid. Focusing her attention back to the path in front of them, the path that would lead them to the computer, Kerrithi wasn't surprised to see the three force users had already progressed ahead, making short work of the dwindling forces. She broke into a jog to keep up, the sound of her rifle sweet music as nearly every shot she fired found a mark. A dead Imperial truly was the best kind of Imperial.
"Naudia, how are you holding up?" Kerrithi heard Theonoe check in on her padawan over the com.
"Better, now. There was some kind of large beast that just attacked, it was trained. An Imperial trooper controlled it. But Dorne is patching me up, it hit harder than expected." Came the response.
"You are doing well, I'm proud of you."
"Thank you, master." Naudia sounded relieved to hear that.
Again Kerrithi wondered how long the girl had been in training. Obviously long enough to leave her master's side in such an important mission, but not long enough for Theonoe to not feel concern for what couldn't have been too severe of an injury. Otherwise, Dorne would have reported it. As Scourge led them inside bunker and they fought their way through the spacious hallways, the ground shook again. "Hahaha! Ain't nothin' more beautiful than fire in the evening. Specially if it's Imperial stuff that's burning." Vik said with glee over the com.
Kerrithi lifted her rifle to take out an Imperial ahead but her mate beat her to it. With a cry, he hit the durasteel floor. "Almost there." She announced to the group, her eyes comparing their position on the map of her HUD to where the location of the computer blinked in a soft blue.
"Good. Cause we're pullin out now, its gettin' too hot for even my taste." Vik replied. She could hear blaster fire over the com as he spoke.
The trooper followed Theonoe around a corner, entering a room where Mritha and Scourge fought side by side against a burly looking Sith. It was eerie, how perfectly her Jedi commander fought alongside the former Wrath of the Emperor. A purple and black lightsaber blade neatly cut through the attacker's leg and the Sith cried out a curse a heartbeat before he fell on Scourge's red lightsaber. Mritha stood over the fallen Sith for a moment, looking down at him with an unreadable expression on her face. Theonoe placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before crossing the room and activating a panel to open the door. As it slid open, surprisingly revealing no one on the other side, a holopad in the center of the room sparked to life and the holo of a pudgy Imperial added its soft light to the Imperial overheads and colored lightsaber glows. "You on my doorstep… fortune has always favored me." The Moff began. "Imperial Intelligence has kept me appraised of the efforts of each of you, but your victories end here. My fleet is about to bombard you from orbit."
Hoping to prolong their window and buy more time, as ground troop deployment took more time to organize than simply shooting down at the planet from space, Kerrithi spoke up. "Blind strikes rarely find their target. Shoot all you want, you'll still miss us."
"Oh don't worry, I plan to make up inaccuracy with sheer quantity. It served me well on Coruscant…" His eyes flicked to the two Jedi, his words having the desired effect. Theonoe's eyes narrowed but Mritha curled a hand into a fist. "It's been a pleasure catching up, but you won't escape. Goodbye." His image flickered then faded, and Mritha broke into a run, her two lightsabers humming.
As Kerrithi and the others pounded after her, the com came to life. "We heard that, all of it. Coming back to your position now!" Kira called. Combat could be heard on the other end, primarily blaster fire with a hum of a lightsaber. Shockingly, no explosions.
"No. Fall back to the shuttle. That includes you, Sergeant Yuun, and your team. Get it started up and prepare for a hot evac. We won't be long." Mritha commanded, throwing her saber as she ran and cutting down a probe droid, not breaking stride. The broken shell lifted on its own and slammed into its neighbor, taking it out as well, and matching the gesture of Theonoe's hand.
"Fine… but if you're not out in five minutes? We're coming in after you regardless!" Kira shot back. Whatever Mritha had been about to reply was cut off when the ground beneath their feet shook, causing even Scourge to stumble. The shaking intensified until the roar was right above them, dust and bits of the ceiling starting to fall. Like a wave, it passed, but Kerrithi knew the bombardment was far from over. Though to her surprise, it didn't immediately come back.
"I have set the anti-air defenses to attack the fleet above and increased the shield over your position to maximum. Neither will last. You must hurry. This one is now on his way to the shuttle." Yuun's strange voice cackled over the com.
"Shame we don't have any of Vik's explosives with us." Jorgan muttered to his mate as they neared a large durasteel door blocking their path to the computer. Unlike the one before, the access light here was red instead of green. With Yuun having abandoned his station, it seemed the Imperials had already regained some control over the systems. That was quick, Kerrithi realized with a frown.
Wordlessly, Theonoe stood in the center of the hallway in front of the door and collected what looked like white energy in her palm. With a violent push that made her headtails swing, she thrust the energy at the door and upon impact, left a sizable hole. The door stood, but one by one they could now all fit through. "They've breached the door, get ready men!" A voice called within.
Scourge was the first one through, followed by Mritha. From behind Theonoe, Kerrithi watched her Jedi friend make an impossible leap clear across the room and slash with both lightsabers at the heavily muscled trooper. Two large turrets, nearly as tall as she was, instantly turned and started firing. Scourge went right, Theonoe went left, each targeting a turret while Mritha kept the trooper busy and Kerrithi and Jorgan provided cover fire, eliminating the troops scattered about the room one by one. For his armor to hold up against the assault of the lightsabers, the enemy trooper must have been wearing Mandalorian armor, but Kerrithi didn't put too much thought behind it. Mando armor or not, he still wouldn't last long. As she and Jorgan fought their way up the stairs, leaving behind a trail of bodies, the fighting below grew dimmer and with a final cry, ended. "Sight on target!" Kerrithi called to her companions down below. The Gree technology was significantly smaller than expected, they would have no trouble at all carrying it out despite the bombardment.
"Butchers!" A voice accused. An unarmed man in a lab coat scurried between her and the computer. "You have invaded a sovereign Imperial world, slaughtered countless innocents, to what? Steal our research? This facility is on a mission of peace!" The man cowed slightly when the ceiling above them rumbled. The defenses were failing. But that didn't slow down Mr. Scientist. "We are charting the Maelstrom Nebula for the good of all!"
Jorgan was having none of it. "You have warships in orbit above this planet and battalions of troops and droids on the surface. If this is your version of a peaceful mission, you're doing it wrong."
"Because we knew once you discovered our research, you'd attempt to steal it and here you are! When the rest of the galaxy hears of this unprovoked assault, the Republic's evil will be exposed! It will come as no surprise to anyone that the Jedi are filled with hungry warmongers!" His sneer to someone behind them alerted Kerrithi to her companion's approach. Scourge brushed past them and with one thrust, plunged his red lightsaber into the heart of the scientist.
"That man was unarmed!" Theonoe quickly protested.
"That man would have exposed our mission had he lived. There was nothing you could have said to dissuade him from doing so, and we lack the time to deal with prisoners. Killing him was beneficial." Scourge said calmly, the first words he'd uttered the entire mission.
"Killing him was wrong!" Theonoe said venomously, her green eyes bright with disgust.
The base shook again, and this time chunks of the ceiling fell. "We can argue this later, we need to evac now!" Kerrithi shouted above the sound of falling durasteel and other debris. Thankfully, the two bickering force users agreed that their argument wasn't the most pressing matter at the time and as soon as Mritha grabbed the glowing oddly shaped computer, the group broke into a run. The map display on Kerrithi's HUD flickered and died, and the lights illuminating their path threatened to follow suit. Fortunately they no longer needed a map, they simply needed to follow the trail of bodies and dismantled droids to the exit point. But with each passing moment, the going became more and more treacherous as they neared the surface and there was less material between them and compacted high-energy particles raining down from the warships in orbit.
"Hope you guys are almost out! The base is about to collapse!" Kira shouted over the com.
"Almost there, be ready to punch it!" Kerrithi answered back. She could see the sky now ahead of them, but a falling support beam behind her hit the floor with a large crash, knocking her off her feet. Jorgan reached down mid run and grabbed her arm, roughly yanking his mate back onto her feet. Outside was madness; droids and Imperials running for cover that would sooner crush them than protect them, but they sought refuge nonetheless. The scream of engines could barely be heard over the sound of the orbital bombardment, but a dark shadow overhead helped to announce the arrival of their shuttle. One by one they clambered onboard and Kerrithi closed the hatch. "Everyone's on! Get us out of here!" She called to whomever was driving the shuttle. She didn't get a verbal response, but the ship lurched suddenly, nearly knocking her off her feet again. Kerrithi made her way slowly towards the common area and strapped herself in the first available seat when the shuttle veered, avoiding whatever was in its path. Belatedly, she realized Naudia was strapped in the seat next to her, the girl's paler than normal face making her dark blue tribal markings stand out more than usual. Her pale white Jedi robe was dirty and torn at the front, revealing a kolto patch on her chest and neck. To take her mind off it, Kerrithi started a conversation, "How you holding up?"
"Better." The girl said with a tired smile. "Sargent Dorne really knows her stuff."
"Yea she does, we're lucky to have her." Kerrithi said warmly. "How long have you been a Jedi?"
"I'm only a padawan, not really a Jedi just yet. But a year… ever since my father died."
"I'm sorry to hear that." The ship rocked and someone in the cockpit swore.
"It's ok. I'm better now. I'll always miss him, but I'm not as angry about it as I used to be. That was the hardest part at first, not hating the Empire for what they did to him." The young girl admitted. "But it seems everyone has lost someone in this war, so I'm not alone."
"No." Kerrithi said solemnly, thinking of her litter. "No, you're not alone." Then the ship lurched and the strange feeling of hyperspace descended. Somehow, they'd made it through the blockade and were ready for the next part of their mission